Roll polisher



Oct. 30, 1928.

J. D. WILLIAMS ROLL POLISHER Filed April 6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,689,656 J. D. WILLIAMS ROLL POLISHER Filed April 6, 1926 :5 Sheets-shut 2 INVE/V 70/? m mm HTTOHNEYS Patented Oct. 30, 1 928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. WILLIAMS, or inLEs, onro.

ROLL POLISHER.

Application filed April 6,

the rolls constantly in proper operative con- 1 dition.

It is well known in the "rolling mill industry that the mill rolls accumulate scales and abrasions which .are inimical to the turning out of a satisfactory product and which must consequentlybe removed by a suitable polishing operation; it has been customary therefore to periodically discontinue'rolling operations and polish the rolls by the application thereto of a block of abrasive material" either manually or by means of some suitable mechanism. This method of polishing the rolls results in a material loss of time, involves the expenditure of a considerable amount of labor and is objectionable in that during the period of shut-down the mill rolls become cool with resulting loss of accuracy and finish in the product of the mill after it is again started up until the rolls once more attain proper operating temperature. With i a view to overcoming these objections various devices have been hitherto suggested for pol ishing the rolls continuously while the mill is in operation with a view to avoidingthe necessity for discontinuing. rolling operations from time to time to polish the rolls, but all of these devices, so far as I am aware, have been more or less unsatisfactory under the practical operative conditions encountered in sheet, tin and plate mills and the like, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a roll polisher adapted to continually olish the rolls during the operation of the mill which is satisfactorily operative under the said conditions.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a continuous roll polisher which may be readily attached to a rolling mill of ordinary construction without making any material changes therein and which, after bein so attached, may be very readily and quic ly removed from the mill when it is desired to change the rolls or the like. and to provide a continuous roll polisher which is operative to reciprocate the polishing or abrasive material longitudinally of the roll while continuously pressing said material against the sur-' face of the roll with'an equalized yielding pressure-and embodying means for adjusting the extent of reciprocation or travel of the polishing material relative to the roll and 'fragm .H in which are journaled a pair of R in the ordinary manner,-the' specific con- 1926. Serial No. 100,031.

also for adjusting the yielding pressure with which the material is pressed against the roll. The invent-ion further contemplates theprovision of a roll polishin device having the foregoin features an characteristics which is of relatively simple construction, not

liable to get out of order under the conditions under which devices of this character must ordinarily operate, which can be readily taken care of and ad'usted by rolling mill opera tives and whic when operatively attached to a rolling mill will in no wise interfere with the normal use and operation thereof.

Still other objects, advantages and novel features of design, construction and arrangement' comprehended by'the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the said drawings, Fig. 1 is a somewhat conventional front viewof a two "high rolling mill showing the roll polisher in operative association with the lower roll and Fig. 2 is an end view of the mill showing the polisher illustrated in Fig. 1 as well as another and similar polisher in operative association with the upper roll. Fi 3 is an enlarged top plan view of'the po isher in operativeposition between the mill housings, fragments of which are also shown, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear view of aportion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 55 in Fig.3; Fig. 6 is a entar'y enlarged view in vertical section on line 6.6 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 a fragmentary horizontal section on line 77 in Fig. 6, all looking in the direction of the arrows. The same s mbols are used to designate similar parts in the several figures.

The rolling mill proper, to which I have shown two of the roll Polishers as operatively attached, may comprise the usual housings rolls struction of the mill forming no part of the presentinvention. The construction and arrangement of the latter will now be more particularly described, from which description its manner of attachment to and operation in connection with the rolling mill will be better understood. i

. The preferred embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate to enable those skilled in the art'to comprehend and a reference may now be had. shown the housings H, H of the mill to which the device isto be attached, this guide being adapted to extend parallel to the axis of the roll and to be supported as hereinafter described.

' The guide is of substantially channel section and is positioned so that the open side of the theholder near the ends thereof and abutting .fr

of the blocks en the blocks are t erefore preferably initially made of sufficient height to dispose their opthe blocks until so channel will face forwardly toward the roll;

in this channel is disposed the polishing block holder 2 which is preferably somewhatshorter than the ide and adapted for reciprocation longitudinally thereof. This holder is operative to support a plurality of polishing stones or blocks 3, WlllCh may be of carborundum or other suitable abrasive material, and are secured in the holder in any convenient way as, for example, byforming the holder with overhanging opposed undercut lips adapted to grip the bases 3' of the blocks,.t'he vertical section of which approximates that of a truncated pyramid, so'that the blocks can he slid endwise into the holder one aftenthe other and are thereafter secure- 1 held thereby, as best shown in Fig. 6.

ile I prefer to employ a plurality of blocks abutting endwise one against the other so as to extend for substantially the full len h of the holder, the precise number of locks utilized is immaterial and it may even be possible under certain conditions to employ but 'a single strip or block of'suitable length instead of a p urality of blocks, and any convenient means may be provided for holding the blocks from endwise movement in thev holder after the are seated therein-as, 'for example, remova le dowel pins 5 inserted into the ends of the outermost blocks When the device is inoperation the operating faces 3" ge the face of the roll. and

crating faces at a relatively considerable distance in front of the face of the holder but .of;course the frictional engagement between the blocks and the roll adually wears the former down. so as'to. ring the faces 3"- pr 'vely closer to the holder while the machine is in use, and means hereinafter described are 'providedfor automatically coming for this gradual wea ring away of httle of the abrasive material is left that new blocks are r uired.

With a view to eliminating riction between the holder 2 and guide 1 when the former is reciprocated in the latter, the holder may-be mounted on rollers fi'dispo'sed in a groove 7 formed in the lower flan of the guide, whilefor minimizing'the friction resulting from the rearward thrust of the holder vertically extending rollers 8 may be disposed between the back of the holder and the adjacent face of the guide, roller stops 9 and may eac and respective y points so. as to prevent the rollers from bunch- 1ng together and also from escapin endwise from the holder an blocks is taken by the rollers 6 10' being mounted in the guide-at suitable ide. -Thus as theweig t of the 1 and rearward thrust by the rollers 8 a relatlvely small amount of power is required to effect its reciprocation in the guide.

The erative y supported. between the housings e in- H of the mill in such manner that Whl guide 1 with its attached parts is o L capable of movement parallel to the axis of p the roll with which it is associated, it is capable-of limited movement toward or away from the face of the roll. Convenientl this result be effected by providing t e guide at guide or,'as shown,iinthe'form of a member of channel section secured by bolts 13 to the back of the guide, these supports bein adapt- I end with a rearwardly projecting sup port 12 which may either be integral with the ed to engage between the opposed aces of A an le iron rails .14

vertically spaced airs of inner faces of the housings and extending parallel to eachother either horizontally or at a suitable angle to the horizontal as may I be preferred. Preferably the guide is s'li htly' shorter than the distance between the cusings, and for preventing endwise movement:

of the guide therebetween I may employ any suitable means such as one or more vertically extending pins 16 carried by the supports '12 and each engaging in a slot 17 in the adjacent rail extendlng longitudinally thereof, thus enablin the guide to move longitudinally of the r for a distance determined by the length of the slot but preventing .the guide om any endwise movementbetween the housings. I

For the purpose of reciprocating the detachably bolted to the lot holder'2 in the guide when the machine is in operation so as to move the polishing stones back and forth along the face of the roll, 1-- preferably provide a cylinder 19 which is llll rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the back,o f the guide 1 and in which is disposed apiston mounted on a piston rod 20 which extends outwardly 'ino posite dimetions through the cylinder hea s 21, leakage boxes 22 of any suitable construction carri by the cylinder heads. Reciprocation of the 'istonwithin'the cylinder may be effected" valve mechanism arranged in a valve chest 23 i 126 conveniently mounted on the linder, the fluidbemg supplied to and con ucted from the chest b pipes 24 and 25 which may preferably be exible, The specific construction of the valve mechanism forms no part of the present invention and therefore any mechas 5 about the rod'being prevented y stumn nism suitable for thepurpose may. be em? ployed and preferably so constructedthat the speed with which the piston reciprocates may be varied as desired. i

The ends of the piston rod are connected to the holder 2 through the medium of'a pair of laterally spaced arms 26 extendin rearwardly from the holder and prefera ly integral therewlth; these arms projectthrough slots 27 formed in the'guide and of sufiicient length to allow the arms to move back and forth relatively to the guide for the maximum stroke of the piston. At their extremities the arms are bored for the passage of the ends of the piston rod which are threaded for the reception of adjusting nuts 28 mounted on the rod on opposite sides of each arm, fibre washers 29 being preferably disposed between the nuts and the adjacent faces of the arms. It will thus be apparent that when the nuts are screwed up so as to force the washers snugly against the arms reciprocation of the piston in the cylinder will cause the holder to correspondingly reciprocate in the ide, the stroke or extent of movement of the holder being similarto that of the piston, but that when the nuts are backed off so as to leave a space or clearance somewhat greater than the thickness of the washers between their faces and the adjacent faces, of the arms, the stroke of the holder will be correspondingly less than the stroke of the piston, which latter is constant underall conditions. Thus by suitable adjustment of the nuts 28 the stroke of the holder may be varied within limits as desired to accord with the cambre of'the particular roll with which the polisher is associated which is of advan-.

ta e in obtaining the most satisfactory resu ts.

For constantly maintaining the stones against the face of the roll with a yielding pressure irrespective of irregularities in its surface and to compensate for the gradual wearing down of the stones, I provide means which are continuously operative to urge the guide with its attached arts forwardly toward the roll-so as to ring the operative faces 3" of the stones into suitable engagement therewith, said means preferably comprising a pair of steel or other suitable cables 30 and 31 respectively arranged above and below the guide, yielding means for maintaining the cables under tension, and means for guiding the cables in such manner that they will apply pressure to the guide in the proper direction to eifectthe-desired result.

More specifically, the cable 30 which is disosed above the stationary guide has its left and end (when the machine is viewed in Fig. 3) secured in any suitable Way to the upper end of a vertically extending bar 32 which abuts the edges of the' rails 14 and port to the bar. From this point of attachment the cable extends forward over sheaves 33 and 34 mounted near the forward end of the upper rail 14 and is thence carried angularly rearward over a sheave 35 mounted on a bracket 36 secured to the guide, thence parallelto the guide over another sheave 37 carried by a similar bracket 38 on the oppo-- site side of the center of the guide, thence angularly forward over sheaves 39 and 40 mounted on the upper rail 15 and corresponding to sheaves 34 and 33 on the opposite rail and thence rearwardly to a bar 41 similar to bar 32 and abutting the edges of rails 15 in a similar way. The cable 31 which is disposed below the guide and attached to the bars 32 and 41 near the lower ends thereof follows a'similar course, passing in a corresponding way from the bar 32 over sheaves 33' and 34' which are mounted on the flange of the lower rail 14 directly beneath sheaves 33 and 34, thence over sheave 35 on a bracket 36' mounted on the lower side of the guide beoFmed in the edges of the adjacent rails 14 so that by placing the ends of the-key in different notches the tension of the spring may be adjusted; in a similar way the forward end of, a' spring 46 is attached to the bar 41 and its rear end to a key 47 engageable/ in notches 48 in the rails'15. Preferably the springs are arranged to diverge slightlytoward the rear so as to maintain the'bars to which they are respectively attached in snug abutting engagement with the adjacent rails without, however, interfering with the capacit, of the bars to slide along the edges thereo It will thus be apparent that the springs 43 and 46 are effective to exert a constant rearward pull 'on the bars 32 and 41 which, in turn, maintains the cables 30 and 31 under considerable tension with the result that the portions of the cables adjacent the guide exert a'forward thrust on the sheaves 35 and- 37 and the corresponding ,subjacent sheaves which tends to urge the guide and its attached parts forward so as to press the stones against the face of the roll with which the device is operatively associated. It will be further apparent that the thrust so exerted is equalized throughout the length of the guide so that all of the stones are pressed against the face of the roll with an equal parts is free to recede from or move toward pressure while the guide with its attached I the roll in conformity with any irregularities thereof, thereb maintaining the stones con 'stantl'y in suitable frictional engagement with the roll as well as automatically compensat-ingfor the gradual wearing down of the stones as it occurs. 1

My improved roll polisher when con- 'structed substantially in the mannerhereinbefore described may bereadily attached to a rolling mill of ordina construction, as shown in -Fi s. 1 and a ty merely bolting the rails tot e housings of the mill either with the rails extending horizontally as in the case of the polisher adjacent the roll R which, in Fig. 2, is shown as attached in this manner,or with the'rails extending at a slight an le to the'horizontal as in the case of the po 'sher associated with the roll R" m the 'said figure. WithQequal facility the polisher;

ma be detached from" the mill to allow the re thereof to be, changed or for other purposes either by removlngthe-pins' 16 and disengaging keys 44 and 47 to permit the guide w th its attached parts to be slid out ofthe rails, the latter being allowed to remain on the housings, or by detaching the whole mechanism from the mill by removing the rails.

Under-ordinary conditions of operation the roll polisher may preferably. be kepton the mill'and continuously operated whenever the mill is in usethereby keepin the rolls r erly polished and in condition for satlsfac to operation at all-times, the pressure with which the polishing'stones are held against the face of the roll being adjusted by varyin 4 the tension of the 43 and 46, the lengt of the. stroke of the stone holder being regulatedby adjustment of the nuts 28 and the 7 speed with which the stones are moved back and forth across theroll being. controlled through the valve mechanism so as to produce the best results under the particular conditions under which the mill is working. .If desired, however, the polisher may be' 0 erated so'as topolish the rolls at predetermined intervals instead of continuously, the stones between the intervals of polishing being held out of engagement with the roll by relieving the tension on the springs and pushing;

the guide with its attached parts rearwardly to the limit of-the movement'permitted by tion whic I use'in connection with a'rolhng mill .of Oldlslots 17. v

While I have herein illustrated and described a referred embodiment of my inven- Eis adapted for installation on and nary construction, I do not thereby desire or intend to confine myself specifically thereto or to the use of the invention with any particular type of mill as the design, construction and arrangement of the various elements may be modi ed in numerous particulars from the precise embodiment towhich I have referred,

and the roll polisher may be utilized forjthe means and with the gu .cent and parallel toone of .the

polishing of the rolls of apparatus'other than rolling mills and suitably adapted therefor if required, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Havin thus described my invention, I

claim an desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. In combination with a rolling mill, a roll polishing device comprising a polishing block,

a guide, 'a holder for the block mounted in the guide and adapted for reciprocation with respect thereto, means for support' between the housings of the mill a. of the rolls thereof, said means being adapted to permit limited movement of the guide to and from the roll, means for reciprocatin the holder in the guide to move the block Irack and forth longitudinally of the roll, and yielding means connected with said supporting the guide ually urge the guide forwardly toward the j acent oneide operative to continroll so as to maintain the block in operative engagement therewith.- I 2. In combination witha rolling mill, a roll polishing device comprising a polishin block, a

a guide, a holder for the block mounte in the guide and adapted for reciprocation long:-

tudinally thereof, means for supporting t guide between the housings of the mill adjarolls thereof, means for permitting limited movement of the guide to and from the'roll relative to the suporting means, means for reciprocating the older in the guide, and means or urging the guide toward the roll comprising a flexible element bearing on the guide and resilient means connecting said element with a point relatively stationary with respect to the hous ings of the mill. f

3. In combination with a roll polishing device comprising a gulde, a reciprocatory holder mounted in the guide, polish. ing blocks mounted in the holder, means for supporting the guide between the housings of the mill so as to dispose the blocks adjacent and parallel to the axis of one of the rolls thereof, means adapted to permit the guide to move in its supporting means to or from the roll and to restrain said ide from movement "longitudinally of the ro means for recipro ho d mill, a roll ing blocks mounted in the holder, means for supporting the guide between the housings of the mill so as'to dispose the blocks adjacent and parallel to the axis of one of the rolls I necting, the ends of the cable applying a yielding thereof, means adapted to permit the guide to move in its supporting means to or from the roll and to restrain said guide from movement longitudinally of the roll, means for reciprocating the holder in the guide, and means for 5. In combination with a rolling mill, a roll device comprising a guide, a recippolishing rocatory holder mounted in the guide, polishing blocks mounted in the holder, means for supporting the guide between thehousings of the mill so as to dispose the blocks adjacent and parallel to the axis of one of the rolls thereof, means adapted to permit the guide to move-in its supporting means to or from the roll and to restrain said guide from movement longitudinally of the roll, means for reciproeating the holder in the. guide, and means for applying a yielding pressure angularly forwardly 1n opposite directions to the forward ends of the supporting members and thencerea-rwardly substantially parallel to said members and resilient means connect-.

ing the ends of said cables to said supporting guide for supporting the holder,

members.

6. A continuous roll polisher adapted to polish a roll of a,rolling mill comprising a polishing block, a holder for the block, a means for supporting the guide from the housings of the mill, fluid actuated means carried by the guide and connected with ciprocating the holder in the guide, and adjustable means for regulating the stroke of the holder relatively tothe guide.

,7. A continuous roll polisher adapted to polish a roll of a rolling mill comprising a polishing block, a holder for the block, a

guide for supporting the holder, means for supporting the gui'de'from the housings of the mill,' a cylinder supported from the guide andenclosing a piston, meansffor effecting the cylinder,

reciprocation of the piston in means connecting the piston with "the holder whereby reciprocation-- of the piston is operative to reciprocate 'the'holder in the guide and means for regulating the stroke of the pressure to the guide to move it forwardly toward the roll relatively to to the guideto -move it forwardly toward the roll relatively to its supporting means comprising a pair of polish the holder for re-- piston.

' '8'. A roll polishing device for a rolling mill,

comprising supporting means adapted tachment to the housings of the mill, a polishing block, a guide extending between said for atsupportmg means and capable of movement longitudinally thereof, a reciprocatory holder for the block mountedin said guide, means 7 for reciprocating the h0lder, and means including a spring-tensioned cable operative to constantly urge the guide in a predetermined direction along the supporting means.

'9. A roll polishing device for a rolling mill,

comprising supporting rails adapted for attachment to the housings of the mill, a guide extending transversely between said supadapted for limited longiporting rails and tudinal movement therealong, a polishing block,- a holder for the block arranged for re. ciprocation in the guide, fluid actuated means carried by the guide for reciprocating the holder, and means comprising aspring-tensioned cable operative to continuously urge the guide along'the rails in a predetermined direction 10. A continuous roll polisher adapted to a roll of a rolling mill and comprising a polishing block, a holder for the block having a rearwardly' extending arm, a guide for supporting the holder, means for supporting the guide from the housings of the mill, a cylinder carried by the guide, reciprocating piston therein, and a piston rod extending therefrom to said arm and provided with a nut on each side thereof adj ustable on the rod whereby the extentof reciprocation of the holderv in the guide in correspondenee with the movement of the piston may be varied by adjustmentofsaid nuts on the piston rod; y

11. In combination with a rolling v n-ill, a

a fluid actuated I roll polishing block, a holder therefor, a

guide extending parallel to the axis of the mill roll and supporting the holder, means for automatically reciprocating the holder in the guide soas to move the block back and face of the roll, means for In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this lst'day of April, 1926. p

' JOHN D.- wrLLiAMs. 

